Automatic bending and/or punching machines for producing shaped parts from wire or strip

ABSTRACT

An automatic bending and/or punching machine for the production of shaped parts from wire or strip by means of tools grouped around a central work place of a support table and connected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation to the central work place, wherein a tool carrying plate with guide channels for accommodation of the tools is provided co-axially with the work place and means is provided for connecting the tools to the sliding carriages in a form locking manner.

United States Patent 1 Thode 1 Jan. 9, 1973 [54] AUTOMATIC BENDINGAND/OR PUNCHING MACHINES FOR PRODUCING SHAPED PARTS FROM WIRE OR STRIP[75] Inventor: Horst Thode,Wal1bach,Germany [73] Assignee: Heinz FinzerKG., Wallbach, Germany [22] Filed: June 10, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 45,032

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,396,570 8/1968 McCardell..72/402 1,058,942 4/l.913 Brenzinger 1,457,579 6/1923 Kranz 789,0135/1905 Einfeldt.... 1,527,364 2/1925 Kinzel 3,451,249 6/1969 Sharon771,921 10/1904 McGovern 1,496,583 6/1924 Lukes ..72/402 PrimaryExaminer-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner--Michael J. KeenanAttorney-Thomas B. Graham [57] ABSTRACT An automatic bending and/orpunching machine for the production of shaped parts from wire or stripby means of tools grouped around a central work place of a support tableand connected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation tothe central work place, wherein a tool carrying plate with guidechannels for accommodation of the tools is provided co-axially with thework place and means is provided for connecting the tools to the slidingcarriages in a form locking manner.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 9 197a SHEET 1 0F 3 F ig.3

Inventor.-

HORST THODE ATTORNEY PATENTED JAN 9 I975 snwaurs Fig. 4

lnvenlor; %W:ORST THODE ATTORNEY PATENTEDJAN 91975 $709,023

SHEET 3 0F 3 lnvenfor: HORST THO DE ATTORNEY AUTOMATIC BENDING AND/ORPUNCIIING MACHINES FOR PRODUCING SHAPED PARTS FROM WIRE OR STRIPDETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to anautomatic bending and/or punching machine for the production of shapedparts from wire or strip; by means of tools grouped around a centralwork place of a support table, the individual tools being connected todriven sliding carriages for movement by the latter in relation to thecentral work place.

Hitherto the tools connected to the tool sliding carriages by means ofstationary holders were fed under guidance by the tool sliding carriagesto the work place. With this design lateral forces are transmitted fromthe tools to the tool sliding carriages. In addition to this change overis relatively difficult, since the individual tools have to be releasedfrom the stationary holders of the tool sliding carriages.

The present invention provides an automatic bending and/or punchingmachine for the production of shaped parts from wire or strip by meansof tools grouped around a central work place of a support table andconnected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation to thecentral work place, wherein a tool carrying plate with guide channelsfor accommodation of the tools is provided co-axially with the workplace and means is provided for connecting the tools to the slidingcarriages in a form locking manner.

In this arrangement guidance of the tools is positive and lateral forcesfrom the tools do not adversely effect the sliding carriages. Inaddition to this change over is facilitated, since the form lockingconnection between the tools and the accompanying sliding carriages canbe quickly and easily released. It is also possible to use for the lessstressed parts, such as the connections material of lower quality.

It would be of particular advantage if, in this arrangement, it waspossible to utilize only one tool carrying plate with the most frequentof the machine operations occuring so that nothing but the tools and theshaping parts, such as a bending mandrel or the like, need to be kept inreadiness separately as variable component parts. This can be effectedin accordance with a further feature of the invention in that there maybe provided in each of the most frequent working directions a guide inthe tool carrying plate, all the guides terminating in a central cutoutwhich passes through the tool carrying plate, and is preferably bentthrough a right-angle and in which can be accommodated the foot of ashaping part such as a bending mandrel or the like, said foot beinglarger than the base of the shaping part. With this arrangement, for thechange over, it is merely necessary to insert the tools into the guiderequired in each case and to accommodate in the cutout a shaping partwhich advantageously possesses a foot shaped to correspond with thecutout and which is the same for all the insertable parts. The shapedpart can, in this case, be braced with the foot in the tool carryingplate by screws at right angles to the axis of the shaping part. It isalso possible to deliver it cyclically axially along the cutout for theactual machining operation.

A further simplification of the arrangement can be attained if there isprovided in axial alignment with the cutout a holder intended for cyclicdelivery of an ejector, bending mandrel or the like; said holder havingat its head end a multiplicity of securing holes and in which can befixed the foot of an ejector, bending mandrel or the like, which iswider than the base. Since according to the type of a shaping part, forexample braced in the cutout, an axially blockable ejector must havevariable position, which again does not permit the provision of analways identical hole arrangement for securing screws in the ejectorfoot, the multiplicity of securing holes in the head of the holderoffers the facility of having in the foot of the ejector a holearrangement which will always align with the holes of the holder. Inthis way, it is merely necessary for the adjustment to a differentmachining operation, to hold the required shaped parts and associatedejector on bearings by which the change over of the bending mandrel ispossible with a minimum of holding in the bearings and less change overtime.

Two examples embodiment of the invention are depicted schematically inthe accompanying drawings by way of example wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automatic bending and punching machineconstructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in the direction of the arrows 11-11 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view of a part of the machine in the direction of the arrowsIII-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an alternative form of automatic bending andpunching machine constructed in accordance with the invention in thedirection of the arrows IV-IV of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 5 is an axial section along line V-V in FIG. 4.

The automatic bending and punching machine of FIGS. 1 to 3 has a roundtable 1 with a tool carrying plate 2 secured thereon, in which aremachined guides 3 for tools 4, which can be shaped dies, bending dies,shearing blades, cutting dies or the like and which, with the help ofaccompanying driven sliding carriages 5, can be delivered to a centralwork place 6 or can be moved back therefrom. The individual tools 4 areattached through claw-like formed ends turned away from the work placein suitably constructed connection parts 7, which on their side arefirmly connected to the sliding carriages 5. In FIG. 1 are depictedvarious forms for the form locking connections; in this case the toolscan be attached at the right or at the left, at the top or at the bottomand as shown in the drawing can be attached in tandem. It is alsopossible to form lockingly connect several tools 4 to one slidingcarriage 5, as is indicated in FIG. 1 upper left. In the case of severaltools suspended on one sliding carriage, it is expedient to provide anadjustment facility 8.

The tool carrying plate 2 can be covered by a cover plate 9, as shown inFIG. 2; in this way the guides 3 are jointly covered. Simply by liftingthe cover plate 9 all the tools 4 can be exposed and then, for thepurpose of the change over, subsequent sharpening or exchange can beremoved by loosening the form locking connections with the slidingcarriages 5 from the guides 3 in the tool carrying plate 2.

In the machine shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 a round table II is provided witha tool carrying plate 12 fastened thereon, in which are machined guides13 for tools 14; only one of the guides being shown. The individualtools 14 are, as also in the case of the first embodiment, attachedthrough'their claw-shaped ends turned away from the work place tosuitably constructed connection parts 5, which are firmly connected withthe accompanying tool sliding carriages, not shown. .The tool carryingplate can be covered by a cover plate 16, as shown in FIG. 5,whichcovers the guides, 13 so that simply by lifting the cover plate 6 allthe tools can be exposed.

In the present case the guides 13 are provided in the most frequentlyoccurring working directions of which, then, as the case may be theguides necessary at the time are fitted with tools 4. It has proved thatthe most frequent working directions lie at right angles to the workpiece: feed side 17 as well as at acute angle a of 60 hereto. All guidesand the tool feed side end in a cutout .18 of the tool carrying plate12. This cutout l8, conveniently has a right-angled cross-section andserves to accommodate the foot of a shaping piece, such as bendingmandrel or the like, which is not shown and whose foot can be braced inthis cutout with setscrews l9. The cutout 18 passes through the toolcarrying plate and lies c oaxially to a hole 20 in the table 11, throughwhich, with an axially guided holder 21, there can be blocked, forexample, an ejector which is not shown. The holder 21 is axially guidedin a guide 23 secured to the table 11 by means of screws 23 and isactuated through the follower roll 24 by a cam, which is not shown, andheld with the help of return springs 25 in predisposition on the cam,where the return springs 25 are supported on one side in a holdingfixture 26 of thetable l and on the other side inbores 27 of the holder.

In the head 28., of the holder 21 there is provided in accordance. withFIG. a multiplicity of threaded holes 29 arranged in accordance with asystem, so that the foot of an ejector or of another working element tobe delivered to the cutout 18 can be secured on the holder 21. Thethreaded holes 29 are arranged in groups of eight holes eachsymmetrically to two axes at right angles to each other and permit it tohave available for all conceivable arrangements of ejectors or otherworking elements a sufficient selection of holes for securing them.

The cover plate 16 is secured with simple screws 30 to the tool carryingplate which, in order to facilitate the change over, is advantageouslymade in two parts,

where the parting plane 31 advantageously liesin the centrallongitudinal plane of the work peice feed side 17. The tool carryingplate 2 is likewise secured advantageously with the help of screws onthe table 1 1.

Basically, the measures in accordance with the invention, which residein the fact of providing a central cutout in the tool carrying plate forthe gripping varied shaping pieces with, in each case, an identical footand of equipping an axially adjustable holder with groups of holes forsecuring working elements, are also usable in other bending tools.

What we claim is:

1. In an automatic bending and/or punching machine for the production ofvarious kinds of differently shaped parts from wire or strip by means oftools groups around a central work place of a support table andconnected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation to thecentral work place, the improvement wherein a tool carrying plate withguide channels for accommodation of the tools is provided co-axiallywith the work place, a removable cover plate attachable to the toolcarrying plate for covering the guides and means for connecting thetools to the sliding carriages in a form locking manner, the toolcarrying plate guide being provided in two main directions whichintersect at right angles and in each of the quadrants thus formed thereis a further guide which forms an angle of about 30 or 60 with therespective main directions, all the guides terminating in a centralcut-out which passes through the tool carrying plate, in which cut-outcan be accomodated the foot of a shaping piece, such as bending mandrelor the like, there being provided in axial alignment with the cut-out aholder for cyclic delivery of an ejector, a bending mandrel or the like,said holder having at its head end a multiplicity of securing holes, inwhich can be fixed the foot of an ejector, bending mandrel or likeworking element.

2. In a machine as claimed in claim 1, the improvement wherein securingholes are arranged in four groups symmetrically to the main direction ofworking and the holes of each group are distributed symmetrically to anintersection of axes staggered parallel in relation to the maindirections.

1. In an automatic bending and/or punching machine for the production ofvarious kinds of differently shaped parts from wire or strip by means oftools groups around a central work place of a support table andconnected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation to thecentral work place, the improvement wherein a tool carrying plate withguide channels for accommodation of the tools is provided co-axiallywith the work place, a removable cover plate attachable to the toolcarrying plate for covering the guides and means for connecting thetools to the sliding carriages in a form locking manner, the toolcarrying plate guide being provided in two main directions whichintersect at right angles and in each of the quadrants thus formed thereis a further guide which forms an angle of about 30* or 60* with therespective main directions, all the guides terminating in a centralcut-out which passes through the tool carrying plate, in which cut-outcan be accomodated the foot of a shaping piece, sucH as bending mandrelor the like, there being provided in axial alignment with the cut-out aholder for cyclic delivery of an ejector, a bending mandrel or the like,said holder having at its head end a multiplicity of securing holes, inwhich can be fixed the foot of an ejector, bending mandrel or likeworking element.
 2. In a machine as claimed in claim 1, the improvementwherein securing holes are arranged in four groups symmetrically to themain direction of working and the holes of each group are distributedsymmetrically to an intersection of axes staggered parallel in relationto the main directions.